Here comes the Rooster!

I've been saving this post for awhile. I live within walking distance to my downtown, basically in the heart of the city. I walk to work every day and I love it! I cross a bridge at the end of the street, walk through the park and then I am downtown.

One day, at around 9AM on my way to work, I swear I heard a rooster crowing, down by the river! Imagine a rooster in the city! It's a wonder to us city folk! I paused to see if I could catch a glimpse of this bird, peering over the railing, squinting at the trees along the banks of the river. I couldn't see anything, but a cyclist along the path sure did a double take when he heard it. He too stopped to see if he could find the rooster!

For a few weeks, from my house, I could hear him crowing in the morning around 7AM. Remember how unseasonably warm it was the last few weeks of September, all our windows were open; I could hear him in the distance.

I mentioned this story to a friend who works at the local paper, and they did this story on it. But they could not find anyone who actually saw the rooster. That made me determined to find it. One early morning me and my digital camera were down by the park looking for him. I found him sitting in a tree! I took photos, but alas, they did not turn out. My camera has no zoom and it is only a 1.3 megapixel. It was also a little too dark. I went later in the afternoon and found him, very close to the same location, wandering about on the ground and managed these 'big foot' like photos:

And in case you can't find him here is the photo cropped:

I submitted my photos to the local paper and they called and said they were going to do a story, taking the "big foot" angle, but I am sure some real news took precedence. Quite a number of times I went to the same spot to check on the rooster and he was always there. I told my neighbours that I have seen the elusive rooster and I can show you where, I would take them them the next morning to show them!

Well of course, you can guess what happened. He wasn't there anymore! And we haven't heard or seen him since! I did see Animal Care and Control hanging about, so I suspect they rounded him up. I heard from someone, that the person who let the rooster go at the river was on the local radio station confessing his sins. All part of a prank apparently, someone put some chickens in his apartment as a joke, and he didn't know what to do with them so he let them go at the river. True or false? I don't know, now just part of the legend!

Well, my quilting buddies, I have been doodling roosters all the time. I am seeing roosters everywhere. In craft stores, and at the Russian Quilt show in Ailsa Craig, there were at least 3 rooster wallhangings! As Gwen Marston says, in her book, Collaborative Quilting, "When in doubt, make a chicken quilt". I am not sure I need or have the energy for a whole quilt dedicated to my rooster, but I did make a couple of fabric postcards, one for my neighbours and one for myself.


And for the finale here is Alice in Chains: